This post in on the subject of getting staff to wash their hands or
wear gloves between dealing with patients.   Guidelines aren't
sufficient.  What  can be done to stop the 1000s of people being
killed by infections in NHS hospitals?

My suggestion is that gloves are made mandatory.  You would then need
a touch free dispenser by each bed which would scan the hands: gloves
off, then dispense the gloves and scan gloves on.  It could be made a
criminal offence of assault to touch patients in regular routines not
wearing new gloves.  (Of course crash trolleys may be an exception but
I've only seen them on TV).

I appreciate that especially for younger researchers this isn't
glamourous, but as you get older you realise that that getting the
basics right is more important that cutting edge.  You need also
processes which are followed by all grades in the hospital team.


Here is a complaint I sent to the Basildon Hospital (Essex UK)
compaints team, which was ignored.

Subject: No hand washing when taking blood sample at Basildon Hospital
Date: Oct:2009
From: ""
To: pet@btuh.nhs.uk


To: Complaints Team,
Basildon Hospital.

Dear Sir/Madam,

This is an official complaint against A.B. , a phlebotomist at
Basildon Hospital.  The issue is to do with her practice and attitude
to infection control i.e. hand washing or wearing gloves.

During October 2009, as an outpatient, I had a blood sample taken by
A. She had not washed her hands before starting.  I asked her to and
she said that she doesn't before every patient, not even on the wards,
because her hands "would be as sore as anything".  She gave her hands
a very cursory wash.  I then had to ask her to use alcohol hand rub,
which she barely touched and did not rub in.

After taking my blood she then insisted on going to the pathology
nurse station and asked loudly of other staff members if they washed
their hands. Only one affirmed she did before every patient.  There
were about 3 negative replies.

Please can you consider if A is a fit person to work with infection
control procedures.  Please can you fit security camera in the small
blood sample taking rooms, to protect staff and patients.

Best regards,

On 1 Nov, 17:22, Dave  wrote:
> This post in on the subject of getting staff to wash their hands or
> wear gloves between dealing with patients.   Guidelines aren't
> sufficient.  What  can be done to stop the 1000s of people being
> killed by infections in NHS hospitals?
>
> My suggestion is that gloves are made mandatory.  You would then need
> a touch free dispenser by each bed which would scan the hands: gloves
> off, then dispense the gloves and scan gloves on.  It could be made a
> criminal offence of assault to touch patients in regular routines not
> wearing new gloves.  (Of course crash trolleys may be an exception but
> I've only seen them on TV).
From what is being developed for computer games, it is quite easy to
develop a "had rubbed on hand cleanser" video recognition app for a
webcam.  The processing is within the capabilities of a good graphics
card.  Also I'm sure a laser scanner could pick up missed spots.
>
> I appreciate that especially for younger researchers this isn't
> glamourous, but as you get older you realise that that getting the
> basics right is more important that cutting edge.  You need also
> processes which are followed by all grades in the hospital team.
>

Dave wrote:
> This post in on the subject of getting staff to wash their hands or
> wear gloves between dealing with patients.   Guidelines aren't
> sufficient.  What  can be done to stop the 1000s of people being
> killed by infections in NHS hospitals?
> 
> My suggestion is that gloves are made mandatory.  You would then need
> a touch free dispenser by each bed which would scan the hands: gloves
> off, then dispense the gloves and scan gloves on.  It could be made a
> criminal offence of assault to touch patients in regular routines not
> wearing new gloves.  (Of course crash trolleys may be an exception but
> I've only seen them on TV).
> 
> I appreciate that especially for younger researchers this isn't
> glamourous, but as you get older you realise that that getting the
> basics right is more important that cutting edge.  You need also
> processes which are followed by all grades in the hospital team.
> 
> 
> Here is a complaint I sent to the Basildon Hospital (Essex UK)
> compaints team, which was ignored.
> 
> Subject: No hand washing when taking blood sample at Basildon Hospital
> Date: Oct:2009
> From: ""
> To: pet@btuh.nhs.uk
> 
> 
> To: Complaints Team,
> Basildon Hospital.
> 
> Dear Sir/Madam,
> 
> This is an official complaint against A.B. , a phlebotomist at
> Basildon Hospital.  The issue is to do with her practice and attitude
> to infection control i.e. hand washing or wearing gloves.
> 
> During October 2009, as an outpatient, I had a blood sample taken by
> A. She had not washed her hands before starting.  I asked her to and
> she said that she doesn't before every patient, not even on the wards,
> because her hands "would be as sore as anything".  She gave her hands
> a very cursory wash.  I then had to ask her to use alcohol hand rub,
> which she barely touched and did not rub in.
> 
> After taking my blood she then insisted on going to the pathology
> nurse station and asked loudly of other staff members if they washed
> their hands. Only one affirmed she did before every patient.  There
> were about 3 negative replies.
> 
> Please can you consider if A is a fit person to work with infection
> control procedures.  Please can you fit security camera in the small
> blood sample taking rooms, to protect staff and patients.
> 

I have never ever had blood taken by someone not wearing gloves - if 
nothing else, it protects the phlebotomist from HIV, Hep etc.
Sounds like she is an incompetent individual - worth bearing in mind 
that no formal qualifications are necessary to become a phlebotomist?

On 2 Nov, 00:35, Maria  wrote:
> Dave wrote:
> > This post in on the subject of getting staff to wash their hands or
> > wear gloves between dealing with patients.   Guidelines aren't
> > sufficient.  What  can be done to stop the 1000s of people being
> > killed by infections in NHS hospitals?
>
> > My suggestion is that gloves are made mandatory.  You would then need
> > a touch free dispenser by each bed which would scan the hands: gloves
> > off, then dispense the gloves and scan gloves on.  It could be made a
> > criminal offence of assault to touch patients in regular routines not
> > wearing new gloves.  (Of course crash trolleys may be an exception but
> > I've only seen them on TV).
>
> > I appreciate that especially for younger researchers this isn't
> > glamourous, but as you get older you realise that that getting the
> > basics right is more important that cutting edge.  You need also
> > processes which are followed by all grades in the hospital team.
>
> > Here is a complaint I sent to the Basildon Hospital (Essex UK)
> > compaints team, which was ignored.
>
> > Subject: No hand washing when taking blood sample at Basildon Hospital
> > Date: Oct:2009
> > From: ""
> > To: p...@btuh.nhs.uk
>
> > To: Complaints Team,
> > Basildon Hospital.
>
> > Dear Sir/Madam,
>
> > This is an official complaint against A.B. , a phlebotomist at
> > Basildon Hospital.  The issue is to do with her practice and attitude
> > to infection control i.e. hand washing or wearing gloves.
>
> > During October 2009, as an outpatient, I had a blood sample taken by
> > A. She had not washed her hands before starting.  I asked her to and
> > she said that she doesn't before every patient, not even on the wards,
> > because her hands "would be as sore as anything".  She gave her hands
> > a very cursory wash.  I then had to ask her to use alcohol hand rub,
> > which she barely touched and did not rub in.
>
> > After taking my blood she then insisted on going to the pathology
> > nurse station and asked loudly of other staff members if they washed
> > their hands. Only one affirmed she did before every patient.  There
> > were about 3 negative replies.
>
> > Please can you consider if A is a fit person to work with infection
> > control procedures.  Please can you fit security camera in the small
> > blood sample taking rooms, to protect staff and patients.
>
> I have never ever had blood taken by someone not wearing gloves - if
> nothing else, it protects the phlebotomist from HIV, Hep etc.
> Sounds like she is an incompetent individual - worth bearing in mind
> that no formal qualifications are necessary to become a phlebotomist?

Just looks like government systemic failure:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5A91PS20091110?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8351269.stm

Reuters: "More than 300,000 patients in England catch an infection
linked to their healthcare while in hospital each year. " which must
be quite a high proportion.  Lots more British people are being killed
by the NHS than the Taliban.

However from the BBC story: "The Department of Health said it was
already looking into the issue." so I can rest assured.